blogging

The Writer’s Digest 2015 Writer’s Yearbook provided a list of 101 best websites for writers (available only to subscribers or folks who sign up for their newsletter). What follows is my own personal top list of websites based on their selections, with a few additions of my own. In no particular order:

1. thestorystarter.com – This is just plain old writing fun. Need a writing spark? Head over to story starter and click the button. Sure, what you get might be nonsense, but it might also get your gears turning. You never know what will spark your next story idea or plot development.

2. Grammar Girl – I am not a grammarian. Most people… even writers aren’t, but it’s an important part of what we do. Have a grammar question? Like, “Is my participle dangling?” Head here. Grammar girl has the answers.

3. Joe Konrath (or A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing) – I’ll admit it, reading Joe Konrath’s blog is one of the reasons I got into self-publishing. Over the years, it’s become a bit acerbic, but Joe tells it like it is when it comes to the publishing industry and his beliefs in the potential for authors to succeed in self publishing.

4. Preditors and Editors – This is a great resource, especially if you’re thinking of signing on with someone to publish your work. They’ve sniffed out the scams and the con artists. Should be part of any due diligence before giving anyone your money to do work for you.

5. Writer Unboxed – While I don’t visit this site as often as I used to, it’s really a great resource. Plenty of great content written by a wide variety of regular bloggers and contributers. A great community focused on everything writing.

6. Slushpile Hell – As a self-published author, a blog about query mistakes and submission pet peeves doesn’t hit home quite so hard. But, if you’re looking for a great source of what NOT to do when submitting to agents, this is the place to go.

7. Mediabistro.com – Looking for a writing job? This is a great place to start.

_________________________________________________

Now, a few of my personal favorites to round out the top 10 that didn’t make WD’s list.

8. Alltop (Publishing) – Alltop is an aggregator site that you can customize to show you any news from top blogs that you want. In this case, I use their Publishing site. It’s a great way to see all of the most popular blogs in one site, with the most recent article titles on the same page. Great for finding news to share or get ideas for your own blog posts.

9. Hugh Howey – If there was a “good cop” to Joe Konrath’s “bad cop” in the self-publishing world, it would be Hugh Howey. While Joe tries to beat everyone over the head with his (usually well thought out) anti-establishment rhetoric, Hugh is more about sharing his experiences and letting the reader decide what’s best. His Author Earnings Reports can be eye opening to those considering self publishing.

10. Writer’s Cafe (at kboards.com) – If there was an accomplice to Joe Konrath in convincing me to self publish, it was the Writer’s Cafe forum over at kboards.com (formerly kindleboards.com). While the forum isn’t quite as it used to be (good things never last), it’s still an invaluable resource of self-publishing experience. Want to know if a marketing site is worth the money? Want to know how to price your novel? Want to know which 3rd-party distributor to consider? There’s someone there who has seen it/done it.

_____________________________________________________

I hope you find this list useful! Any sites you recommend? Let us know in the comments section and thanks for stopping by!

Like this:

So, there’s probably been a flood of polls up on WordPress blogs these last few days. You can blame the folks running Blogging 201. 😉 But, I figure I’d join in the fray to get a better idea of what brings you back here (or brought you here in the first place). I post a little bit of everything related to writing and publishing (though primarily self-publishing), and I’m considering opening up the blog to guests in a weekly feature that would be focused on a particular craft or self-publishing topic. But, what I’d really like to know is what kind of posts are most worth your time. What do you like to see and what is the most helpful to you? So, if you have a moment, click away at the poll below!

Like this:

That’s pretty crazy, right? I only started this thing back in late June and I’ve already eclipsed the 100 posts mark (slow for some perhaps, but fast for me). I’d say that’s pretty good. Right? Quiet voice from back of room: “Sure dude! Whatever!” 😉 So, I really wasn’t sure what to do with blog post 100, so I’m just going to throw some bloggy stats out.

Like this:

As an author, “they” say you need a social media platform. It’s true. You should have somewhere you can stand up and be seen/heard. For some people, that platform is Facebook or Twitter. But, I just don’t feel like I get as much out of those as I do here. For me, it’s about killing two birds with one stone. Yes, I need an author platform, but I also enjoy sharing my experiences as a self-published author with others. I learned a ton from folks who shared and I want to pay it forward by doing the same for someone else. I like feeling like I’m being helpful.

So, after writing on this blog since June, I’ve gained 150+ followers and average ~100 visitors a week. My three goals for the end of the year are as follows:

Gain another 100 followers

Average 200 visitors a week

Get people to actually comment on my posts!

This is part of the WordPress Blogging 201 challenge. I’m looking forward to seeing what I learn over the next few weeks and applying it to what I blog about. If you haven’t heard of Blogging 201, you can check it out here.

Have your own goals for your blog? Let us know in the comments and thanks for stopping by!